Welcome to "Stay Strong" - a site devoted to sharing and inspiring "Strength" in others and in ourselves! Strength of Spirit, Strength of Mind, Strength of Soul and Strength of Body! PLEASE pass this site onto others in need of Strength and Inspiration!

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose."

(Acts 16:25-26, NIV)

Praising in the Midnight Hour

Paul and Silas were put in jail for spreading good news.

It wasn't fair.

They were beaten with rods without a trial.

It was unjust.

As they sat in the prison, bloody, bruised and uncomfortable, they began to sing praises to God.

All of the sudden, there was a great earthquake.

The prison doors flung open, the chains fell off and they walked out as free men. What happened?

They praised their way to victory!

If we're going to live in victory, we have to know how to praise in our midnight hour—when things seem the darkest, when we're in pain, disappointed, lonely or experiencing a loss.

When you praise Him NO MATTER WHAT, that's when God can enter your situation.

That's when He can break your chains and set you free!

Even if you aren't in a difficult season, remember, praise paves the way to victory.

Praise is what we are called to do!

Today, Praise Him, not because of how you feel but because He is worthy!

Praise Him in your midnight hour and get ready to embrace the freedom and victory He has prepared for you!

A Prayer for Today

"Father, right now I lift my heart to You. I declare that You are worthy to be praised, and Your worth doesn't change because of my circumstances. I will bless You in the midnight hour knowing that You are good, and You have victory and freedom in store for me in Jesus' name!

"Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

—Psalm 55:22 NKJV

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Saturday, May 27, 2017

SOMETIMES THE CIRCUMSTANCES of your life (and the condition of this world) make it difficult for you to be joyful.

When you're searching for Joy, where do you turn?

One of the best places to find true Joy is in hope.

I want you to know the hope to which I have called you—the riches of My glorious inheritance.

Since you are a co-heir with Me, this blessing is definitely for you.

When present circumstances are weighing you down, grasp onto hope for dear life!

It will help you not only to survive but to thrive—to live joyously.

In some ways, hope is like a hot-air balloon.

It is very buoyant, so it can lift you up above your troubles.

It enables you to soar in the heavens with Me—helping you see things from a heightened, big-picture perspective.

To embark on this heavenly journey, you must climb into the basket beneath the balloon—by trusting fully that your hope in Me will not let you down.

There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

From "Jesus Today "by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!!

》》》》》》》》》》》》》》

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

—Romans 12:12

"May God] give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."

—Ephesians 1:17–18 ESV

"There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."

Monday, May 22, 2017

"Since we have the same spirit of faith…we also believe, and so we also speak."

(2 Corinthians 4:13, ESV)

Say What?

Scripture says, "The spirit of faith is in our words."

My question today is, "What's coming out of your mouth?"

Are you talking about how big your problems are, or are you talking about how big your God is?

As believers, our attitude should always be an attitude of praise—

"Father, business may be slow, but I want to thank You that You're supplying all of my needs."

"My circumstance may seem impossible, but thank You, God, that all things are possible with You!"

We should always find a reason to give thanks!

This is what Jonah did.

After complaining for eight verses, he had a change of heart in verse nine.

He said, "God, in spite of my difficulties, I'm going to offer unto You the sacrifice of praise with a voice of thanksgiving."

While sitting in the belly of the whale, instead of complaining, he began to worship.

The next verse says that the whale spit him out onto dry ground, and he went on to fulfill his destiny.

If you feel like you're in the belly of a whale, if you feel trapped, if things seem dark, remember, praise always precedes the victory!

Open your mouth and declare His praises!

Say what the Word says and watch the breakthrough come to pass!

A Prayer for Today

"Father God, I humbly come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ. I commit my words and thoughts to You. I choose to say what the Word says. I choose to speak the truth and trust that You are working for my good in Jesus' name.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me..."

(Psalm 23:4, NKJV)

Walk Through

Do you ever feel like you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death?

During the tough times, it's easy to get discouraged.

I love what it says in the verse, "though I walk through…"

No matter what you are facing today, know this: you are not alone, and you are just walking through.

You don't have to stop and live in the tough times.

They are only temporary!!

I encourage you today; don't allow fear to paralyze you in the middle of "the valley of the shadow of death."

Remember, God is with you.

He is walking beside you.

He is Strengthening you.

He is making a way of escape for you.

He is lining up people and situations to bring you out of that tough place into a place of Strength and Victory.

Don't give up!

Press on and walk through!

Begin to get a vision of your life on the other side.

See yourself more loving, more faithful, stronger and more blessed than ever before.

As you keep moving forward and walking through, you will get to the other side and experience the victory God has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today

"Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. Thank You for walking with me even in the hard times. I trust that You are taking me through my circumstances to a place of victory and strength in Jesus' name.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

WHEN YOU ARE GOING THROUGH A DARK time—a hard time—it's easy to project that darkness into the future.

The longer you struggle with adverse circumstances, the darker the way before you appears—and the harder it is to imagine yourself walking along bright paths again.

The temptation is to just give up and let misery become your companion.

So it is crucial at such times to remember that I am your CONSTANT Companion.

Moreover, because I am Sovereign God, I am able to turn your darkness into Light.

When you feel on the verge of sinking in despair, turn to Me for help!

Cling to My hand, and walk by faith through the darkness!

Do not focus on the circumstances that are weighing you down.

Instead, through eyes of faith, look ahead to brighter times, and praise Me for them.

While you worship Me in the midst of darkness, I enable you to see the first gleam of dawn on the path before you.

Continue walking worshipfully with Me—a walk of faith.

As you persevere along this path, the dim light will gradually shine brighter and brighter till the full light of day.

From "Jesus Always "

Stay Strong!

》》》》》》》》》》》》

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.'

—Isaiah 61:1

"You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light."

—2 Samuel 22:29

"We walk by faith, not by sight."

—2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

"For exaltation (promotion) comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another."

(Psalm 75:6-7, NKJV)

When God is Your Boss

I know this man who was upset because his boss was really against him.

The boss was always trying to make him look bad and would never give him any kind of recognition.

The truth is that his boss was jealous of him.

But, this man just kept being his best, working unto God.

There were several promotions that he should have received, but because of this unfair boss, he was passed over.

One day the CEO of the corporation was in town, and this man had to make a presentation.

The CEO was very impressed.

About a year later, a position became available that should have gone to the man's boss, but the CEO bypassed the boss and called this man directly.

Today, instead of working for the unfair boss, the tables have turned.

The boss is working for him.

Always remember, promotion comes from the Lord.

When you stay faithful and keep a right attitude, that's when God will promote you.

One touch of His favor and things will totally turn around!

Keep abiding.

Keep being faithful.

Stay on that high road.

God will make your wrongs right and promote you in your due season!

A Prayer for Today

"Father God, today I humbly submit myself to You because You are good and faithful. I choose to work and live according to Your Word because I love You and desire to honor You. I receive Your mercy and grace today so I can live a life pleasing to You in Jesus' name. Amen."

Get your STAY STRONG T-SHIRT!!

These ten great inspirational sayings about life come from diverse cultures and times. These sayings of inspiration represent the thread of enlightenment and compassion that has always run through the greatest among us, and are, to me, the best of the best.

This above all, to thine own self be true.- William Shakespeare

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.- Confucius

Happiness depends upon ourselves.- Aristotle

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.- Lao Tsu

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man... the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.- Chief Seattle

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.- Rabindranath Tagore

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.- St Francis of Assisi

There are no facts, only interpretations.- Friedrich Nietzsche

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.- Albert Einstein

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.- George Bernard Shaw

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.- Joseph Campbell

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.- Joseph Campbell

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.- Helen Keller

Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others.- Helen Keller

Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.- Helen Keller

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. - Anonymous

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.- Confucius

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.- Marie Curie

Life is a long lesson in humility.- James M. Barrie

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.- William James

Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.- John Lennon

No one knows what he can do until he tries.- Publilius Syrus

As we light a path for others, we naturally light our own way.- Mary Anne Radmacher

There are no facts, only interpretations.- Friedrich Nietzsche

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.- Rabindranath Tagore

To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform.- Theodore H. White

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... It's about learning how to dance in the rain.- Vivian Green

I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for that part of me you bring out.- Roy Croft

I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the Spirit.- Kahlil Gibran

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Where there is great love there are always miracles.- Willa Cather

Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.- St. Francis of Assisi